City Councilors will consider ratifying a resolution today to declare a disaster following the Sept. 11 floods that destroyed bridges and eroded infrastructure, crops, homes, land and other structures.

The resolution supports a similar measure taken by Chaves County last month. The action would be taken mainly as a step to seek state and federal funds to repair the damage, said City Manager Larry Fry.

“It could make us eligible for certain types of federal or state funding, but it’s too early in the game to know what it would be,” Fry said. “We certainly did have some damage. Those damages are still being accumulated.”

The city’s resolution states that all locally available public and private resources committed to mitigate and alleviate the damage are insufficient to pay for damages, including starting repairs and meeting restoration requirements.

Councilors were expected to consider committing $50,000 in Lodger Tax funds for [auth] next year’s Roswell Filmfest and Cosmicon, but that item was pulled from today’s agenda. The item was considered at the city’s Finance Committee earlier this week, but committee members found issues with the event organization’s financial reporting from last year’s event, Fry said.

“There were just some issues on reporting from last year’s event,” Fry said. “There are questions still outstanding as far as reporting.”

The funding is expected to be reconsidered by the committee and possibly by City Council again next month.

In economic development news, City Planning Director Michael Vickers has reported on several new business ventures within the city.

KBob’s Steakhouse is expected to open by the end of the year inside the Best Western Sally Port Inn & Suites on North Main Street. The restaurant will replace the bar that was closed two months ago. The city approved a full liquor license to the hotel last month.

The restaurant is expected to be “intimate” and serve a full bar, Vickers said.

“There are no specifics on the layout yet,” Vickers said.

“We’re always hearing about new businesses opening up, prospering and doing well in Roswell,” Vickers said.

FedEx is also expected to open a 20,000-square-foot distribution facility on a 5.5-acre lot that the city sold to a developer in the Brasher Industrial Park at 419 E. Brasher Road.

“That’s a nice project,” Vickers said. “We don’t have the full plans on it yet.”

And, a new 118,000-square-foot apartment complex could start development at 2420 North Union Street at any time. Country Club Apartments is planned for more than 100 units of market-rate apartments.

In other actions, the council will consider approving a beer and wine license for La Salsa Restaurant, at 4501 N. Main St., and issuing a permanent waiver to allow the sale of alcohol at the Royal Crown Restaurant and Event Center, to be located at 1714 W. Second St.

The Royal Crown Restaurant and Event Center owners Faustino and Naomi Robles intend to remodel an existing building to operate a family restaurant and special event facility, according to plans submitted to the city.

The property is located within 300 feet of the Trinidad Community Baptist Church, which makes it necessary for the owners to ask the city for a waiver of state requirements.

Trinidad Community Baptist Church voted in a special business meeting Aug. 18 to permanently deny the waiver of the liquor license and again Aug. 25 to deny a waiver of any kind of beer and wine license, according to Pastor Michael Bush.